How do you begin your day? Do you first spend a few minutes intentionally praying about things or do you just pop out of bed ready to start your day? I have to admit that for many years that second way was my usual routine. I would wake up and immediately my to do list filled my mind. It felt like I was behind before I even started my day, So, I would jump out of bed rushing into my day and all the tasks that awaited me. I might or might not take a moment to pray, definitely I didn’t take time to center myself in God. I just assumed that God would be with me, I would fit in some devotions somewhere, and all was good, Then one day, at a retreat, I was asked that question, “How do you begin your day?” When it came to my turn to share I felt a little ashamed at my response. Then the presenter said, “No matter how busy you think you might be, you have time for a minute with God.” She gave us a list of some Bible verses and said, “Pick one, memorize it and use it to start your day. Say it and then pause for just a few seconds and let those words comfort you and focus you for the day to come.”

Psalm 118:24 became my morning verse, I start most mornings with it. Yes, I still occasionally forget but usually, before I ever get out of bed, I recite this verse. It grounds me in God’s love and grace because who knows what the day might bring. And when I have had those challenging days, and we all have them, my mind goes back to this verse, I speak it again and again in my mind, It reminds me that God made this day and no matter what I need to rejoice that I am here, there are blessings to experience and so be glad.

Recently, I was having one of those kind of days. My wife was dealing with significant health issues, our youngest daughter was going through a crisis time in her life, and the list of things I needed to attend to was long. I was feeling overwhelmed and was feeling very discouraged. Then this verse popped into my head. It caused me to stop focusing on all I was dealing with and turn to thinking about the blessings I had experienced that day. A list quickly came to mind. A sales person going the second mile in helping me, a funny text from my sister to let me know she cared, a beautiful morning to enjoy when walking to dog. There was much to remind me that God was with me and I could rejoice and be glad.

That brief moment of renewal didn’t make all the stresses go away but it did change me, It caused me to no longer feel overwhelmed but at peace knowing that God’s help and presence was with me and those I love.

So again, “How do you start your day?” Focus on God’s blessings and presence for just a moment and then no matter what the day brings you will be able to celebrate life and be glad you are alive!

Loving God. Slow us down and help us to remember that each day is a gift from you. You fill this day with blessings and with joy. Even when times are tough your presence brings us peace and for that we give thanks and rejoice. Amen.

This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

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All human beings have difficulties in their life, times of great happiness and joy, and times of sorrow and darkness. The command in this passage is not too hard to obey when things are going well: rejoicing when we are feeling happy and optimistic; praying when meditating or worshipping; giving thanks when we have been abundantly blessed. The challenge to obey comes in the challenging times, the dark times, the times of grief and sorrow.

After the passing of my husband of 52 years, I was struggling with grief and all its accompanying feelings – sadness, confusion, despair, uncertainty, among others. I could go to sleep, but I would wake up two or three hours later with so many questions buzzing in my brain that I would be awake until dawn. When I visited my doctor, she recommended that I talk with a social worker on the staff who was a grief specialist. When we met, she suggested many coping strategies that I already knew, but the one suggestion that surprised me was to keep a gratitude journal. I know this is regular practice for many people, but I had never written down the things for which I was grateful. I thanked God for them in my prayers, but I never committed them to paper. I was shocked by her suggestion: how could I be grateful when my husband, along with all our shared plans, was gone?

But I was willing to try pretty much anything. As I began devoting time to this practice, along with recalling happy memories of our years together, I realized that I should and could be thankful for the adventures we had together, the beautiful family we had created and nurtured, his many acts of kindness, both for me and for others. I even felt grateful that he enjoyed good health and was able to do the things he loved until four months before his passing.

It did not happen overnight, and many tears were shed going through this process, but the fog of anxiety and sadness that had enveloped me began to clear. It comes back from time to time and probably always will, but now I can include everyday blessings and events, as well as precious memories, in my gratitude journal. I never stopped praying, but now I can rejoice and give thanks for the life God has given me.

Dear God,

Thank you for the gift of life, not only this brief life on Earth but also eternal life through your great sacrifice on the cross. Help us all remember that our gifts and blessings outweigh our losses and sadness. Through our faith in you, we can rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Back in 1883, evangelist Daniel W. Whittle wrote the hymn, "Showers of Blessing," pulling his inspiration straight from this verse in Ezekiel. He teamed up with James McGranahan, music director for evangelist D.L. Moody, and together they created a song that would resonate in churches across the country, and is still sung in worship today.

The late 1800s were a time of rapid change—factories everywhere, growing cities, and lots of uncertainty. Sound familiar? People needed to hear that God's promises were still good even when everything seemed to be shifting. Whittle and McGranahan gave them a song that offered both comfort and timeless truth.

Just as now, rain was very important in the ancient world. Everything depended on it. When Ezekiel talked about "showers of blessing," people immediately understood—rain was life itself, fresh hope, God's provision in its most tangible form.

In this promise, God doesn't talk about a drizzle or an occasional sprinkle. He says showers—plural. The Hebrew word here is geshem, which means a real downpour, a soaking rain that saturates everything it touches. Multiple downpours of blessing, each one arriving exactly when it's supposed to. That tells us so much about who God is. He's not stingy with His grace, carefully rationing it out. No, He pours it out generously, giving us more than we even knew we needed.

It is important to note that these showers come "in their season." God's timing is always perfect, even when it doesn't match what we had in mind. Sometimes we're in a spiritual dry spell, wondering where God's provision has gone. But just like farmers trust that rain will come when it's supposed to, we need to trust that God knows exactly when we're ready for what He wants to give us.

So what does this 142-year-old hymn say to us today? Simply this: God's faithfulness doesn't change with the times. Whether dealing with the Industrial Age or scrolling through today's news, the promise is the same. God sees you. He knows what you need. And He provides abundantly, right on schedule. Living with that expectation means holding onto hope when things get hard, staying faithful even when you're not seeing results yet, and keeping your eyes open for how God shows up—through a friend's encouragement, a new opportunity, unexpected peace, or strength you didn't think you had. That waiting season isn't God forgetting about you. It's Him preparing you for what's coming.

Whittle captured this hope beautifully in the first verse of his hymn:

Father, we thank You that even today, mercy-drops are falling around us. Even so, today we plead for more—for the showers of blessing You've promised. Help us to trust in Your perfect timing and to recognize every gift You send. Open our hearts to receive Your grace, and give us patience to wait expectantly for all You have prepared for us. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to...